Wendell Barnhouse is a nationally-known and respected columnist who has spent over 20 years covering collegiate athletics. He has reported from 25 Final Fours and more than three dozen bowl games and has written about the Big 12 and its schools since the conference's beginning. Barnhouse will be updating the Big 12 Insider on happenings and behind-the-scenes information about the conference.

Iowa
State's run to the third round of the NCAA Tournament was fueled by Royce
White, a transfer who parlayed his outstanding sophomore season into becoming a
first-round NBA draft pick.

The
Cyclones, who have become a home for transfers, have to replace White, Scott
Christopherson and Chris Allen from last year's 23-11 team. But another player
who sat out last season while fulfilling NCAA transfer rules is giving
indications that he might become a key factor by giving Iowa State an explosive
scorer.

Will
Clyburn transferred from Utah. This summer, playing in the YMCA/Capital City
League - a league that White dominated last season - Clyburn had back to back
games of 48 and 63 points. That's right. Sixty three points. Clyburn was
38-of-60 from the field including 7-of-19 from 3-point range. Obviously, he
won't be firing up 30 shots a game this season but the numbers are impressive.

Before
you think that Clyburn was matching up against a bunch of
over-the-hill-never-weres like Your Humble Correspondent, the Cap City League
has plenty of college and high school players. And White said he's not
surprised that Clyburn put up some big numbers.

"He's a great scorer, and he's going to score
whether the opponent is playing defense or not," White told the Des Moines
Register. "He's a wing guy with a great shot, but he's also got some moves
around the basket. I can't wait to see him play."

Clyburn, of Romulus, Mich., was a second-team
all-Mountain West selection after averaging 17.1 points and 7.8 rebounds in the
2010-11 season.

A 6-3, 185-pound guard from Seattle, Adams was
ranked as the 98th-best prospect in high school basketball last
season. Adams committed to the Jayhawks last fall
but didn't officially sign with the school. He needed to become academically
eligible and Kansas will wait to find out if he gets an OK from the NCAA
Clearinghouse.

Adams'
high school coach compares his player to Dwyane Wade and Adams says he has
tried to emulate the Miami Heat star's game.

"Anrio's best
basketball is ahead of him," said Mike Bethea, Adams' coach at Seattle Rainier
Beach High School. "He has a ton of talent and with him going to KU and
listening to coach Self and the coaching staff, the sky is the limit."

Adams
figures to fit in well on a KU team that will be loaded with talented freshmen.

"He can handle like a
one (point guard). He can score like a two (shooting guard)," Kansas coach Self
said of Adams. "His mindset will be more to score. He's a really good athlete.
I think he'll give us an element of toughness, too. He's a good player. He's
capable of being an elite guard."

NCAA
appeal decision key for TCUAccording
to Andy Katz of ESPN.com, TCU is working on an appeals process that, if
successful, would give the Horned Frogs a boost. Here's what Katz wrote in one
of his recent 3-Point Shot offerings:

TCU coach Trent Johnson said the Horned Frogs are going
through an appeals process to get Arkansas transfer Devonta Abron eligible for the
upcoming season. Johnson said the reason Abron came back to his native Texas
was to be closer to his daughter and that there were health issues with his
guardian. "We're waiting to see what happens, we're waiting on the NCAA,'' said
Johnson.

Abron, who is from the Dallas area, would be an impact player
for the Horned Frogs in their first season in the Big 12. The 6-foot-8 forward
from Seagoville High played in 32 games for Arkansas, starting 22, and
averaging 5.7 points and 4.2 boards a game. Abron's high was a 16-board game in
a loss at UConn.